Floating BallFreedom of design meets reality

Text: Joachim RitterPhotos: Oleg Totskiy

To be able to host the 2012 European football championships the Olympic Stadium in the Ukrainian capital, Kiev – originally built in 1923 – underwent extensive renovation work based on a design by German architects Gerkan, Marg und Partners (GMP), the same architects’ firm that was behind the Warsaw stadium project. The general conditions for the Kiev project were, however, completely different from those for the Polish stadium and the lighting design practice, in this case Conceptlicht, also made for a different, but equally competent and creative partner.

The design for the renovation of the Olympic Stadium in Kiev respects the historical building fabric, which includes the signature filigree reinforced concrete upper tier terraces which were added in 1968. The supporting structure for the new roof construction is aligned to the existing bowl-shaped stadium but set at a distance to the terraces. This striking element is wrapped in a new glazed facade and enhanced by a designed lighting scheme. Even the base construction, which dates back to 1948 and is a result of the stadium being located on a slope, was incorporated into the renovation design, albeit in a modified fashion. The lower tier terraces have been geometrically adjusted to meet spectators’ viewing requirements and completely redesigned. In the west section of the stadium, beneath the grandstand, new facilities have been created to accommodate the sportsmen and sportswomen, VIP guests and representatives from the press. With respect to the outer appearance of the stadium, the goal of the design team was to generate a clear overall impression of the sports arena. The bowl-shaped terraces form the core of the structure. They are clearly visible to everyone inside the stadium and required illuminating to enhance their form and layout. In fact, the lighting was deemed extremely important, given that the terraces would otherwise be perceived as dull and not provide the expected backdrop. The structure formed by the stepped terraces was one the lighting designers could work well with. Flat monotonous lighting was out of the question, and they set about generating an exciting tableau with depth and a clearly legible three-dimensional quality. The light was to bring out the architectural features and underline their spatial structure and composition, thus creating a differentiated hierarchy of meaning. This naturally meant avoiding unintended insinuations and providing lighting that was devoid of visual clutter.[…]
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